The Peacemaker
"And I never knew," said Ulfin.
"No," said the Princess, "because you never dared to touch them."
The children were already busy pulling the coats off the ruby slab where they lay. "Here's Cathay's," whispered Mavis.
The Princess snatched it and her own pearly coat which, in one quick movement, she put on and buttoned over Cathay's little folded coat, holding this against her. "Quick," she said, "put yours on, all of you. Take your mer-tails on your arms."
They did. The soldiers at the end of the long hall had noticed the movements and came charging up toward them.
"Quick, quick!" said the Princess, "now—altogether. One, two, three. Press your third buttons."
The children did, and the soldiers tearing up the hall to arrest the breakers of the cases of the Museum—for by this time they could see what had happened—almost fell over each other in their confusion. For there, where a moment ago had been four children with fin-tail fetters, was now empty space, and beside the rifled Museum case stood only Ulfin.
And then an odd thing happened. Out of nowhere, as it seemed, a little pearly coat appeared, hanging alone in air (water, of course, it was really. Or was it?). It seemed to grow and to twine itself round Ulfin.
"Put it on," said a voice from invisibility, "put it on," and Ulfin did put it on.
The soldiers were close upon him. "Press the third button," cried the Princess, and Ulfin did so. But as his right hand sought the button, the foremost soldier caught his left arm with the bitter cry—
"Traitor, I arrest you in the King's name," and though he could now not see that he was holding anything, he could feel that he was, and he held on.
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